The Facts: Brees said he would be "beyond stunned" if he and the New Orleans Saints don't come to an agreement on a contract extension during this offseason, echoing comments made by coach Sean Payton this week.
Diehards Line:In a conference call with reporters Friday, Brees said he wants to reach an agreement with the Saints quickly. "The sooner the better," he said. "I would even say that between now and free agency, I would really like to have something done. ... I think there are a lot of factors, variables, things to consider, but the fact is, we are all very confident that a deal will get done sooner than later. ..." Pro Bowl G Carl Nicks and WRs Marques Colston and Robert Meachem are in line to enter free agency this winter unless they agree to an extension with the Saints. Brees said his top priority "is keeping our team together and making sure we have the right guys in the right positions to make a run at this for a long time," adding that he's "not worried one bit about my contract or about our ability to keep guys in key positions. ..." I suspect keeping Brees, being a greater priority, will be easier to keep around than the rest.